Dear Rosie: STFU.

[anidada]

Baby boom needed now, says Rosie DiManno.

Yeah. I'll get right on that. When I have more money, more time, a bigger house...

I'd like to think she's being tongue-in-cheek, but I can't tell. I'm feeling ranty, and I want to e-mail her, but what's the point?

Comments

[velvetpage]

I don't think she was kidding. I also don't think she's off the mark. The problem is in putting the responsibility on individuals. Want more kids? Open more and better-regulated daycare spots. Encourage living wages. Arrange for student debt relief so young people aren't starting out in the hole. Allow income-splitting between couples Do all the other things that make it possible to have children and raise them well.

We had a small baby boom in recent years, due to the maternity leave. Women who had been putting off kids, stopped putting them off, and I'm sure there were a few who might not have had kids who did after all, in part because of that. It was the first in a series of measures which aren't being followed up on.

[anidada]

This is the thing. You can't tell people "have more kids" without first assuring that the PTB make it a reasonable option -- as you say, the problem is in putting the responsibility on individuals. It's fine for her to say "pop out more kids" but is she going to volunteer to take care of them, for free? And build us a bigger house? Because that's the only way it's happening chez nous, I can tell you that. And given that I'd rather adopt than be pregnant again, and that adoption costs about as much as a new car, well...

[thebitterguy]

She's not good enough to be satirical.

She's the main reason I don't subscribe to the Star.